(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power and free conveyor with a releasing means for a pivotal dog means driven by a pusher means. In particular, the present invention relates to a releasing means including a linearly moveable rod which engages a retaining plate on the pivotal dog means so as to provide power to the conveyor and upon movement of the rod disengages the retaining plate to free the dog means.
(2) Prior Art
The prior art has described many different types of releasing means for power and free conveyors. Illustrative is U.S. Pat. No. 3,518,946 to Kavieff which shows a pusher conveyor 28 and a tow trolly unit 26 with pushers 36. This type of unit is reliable but expensive and is not adapted for retrofitting existing non-power and free conveyor systems which use only a pusher means on a conveyor and a dog means on the carrier. Other power and free conveyors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,314,378 to Potter et al; 3,348,496 to Klamp et al; 3,397,650 to Kondur et al; 3,415,202 to Dehne; 3,420,188 to Dehne et al; 3,451,352 to Curry et al; 3,503,337 to Haase; 3,559,586 to Follrath; 3,774,546 to Krammer; 3,814,024 to Peter; 3,818,840 to Dehne; 3,926,125 to Orwin; 3,948,186 to McCaul; 4,058,064 to Wilder et al; 4,143,599 to Krammer; 4,147,110 to Knudsen; 3,079,872 to Birkhead; 3,247,806 to Dehne; 3,282,445 to Wallace, Jr ; 3,332,359 to Leach; 3,332,360 to Leach; 3,347,171 to Torrance; 3,375,790 to Bishop; 3,425,361 to Bishop; 3,426,700 to Klamp; 3,437,054 to Bishop; 3,518,946 to Kavieff; 3,523,504 to Jones; 3,541,967 to Birkhead; 4,354,435 to Wakabayashi; 4,424,749 to Wakabayashi; 4,433,628 to Wakabayashi; 4,456,117 to Szczepanski; 4,461,216 to Carney; 4,462,315 to Wakabayashi. As can be seen from these patents, the releasing means are relatively complicated.